Method and apparatus for modifying fabricated bolsters to provide ride stabilization



March 28, 1961 c. w. WULFF ETAL METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MODIFYING FABRICATE BOLSTERS TO PROVIDE RIDE STABILIZATION Filed July l, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 28, 1961 w wuLFF ETAL 2976,821

METHOD AND APPARA'US FOR MODIFYI-NG FABRICATED Filed July 1, 1958 BOLSTERS TO PROVIDE RIDE STABILIZATION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Unite METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MODIFYING FABRICATED BOLSTERS TO PROVIDE RIDE STABILIZATON Filed July 1, 1958, Ser. No. 745,953

4 Claims. (Cl. 10S-197) This invention relates to a method of converting railway car trucks of a type employing fabricated bolsters (such, for example, as a pressed steel bolster as distinguished from a cast steel bolster) into one which incorporates friction control of bolster movement, and the invention also relates to the devices employed for obtaining such control.

Experience has taught that freight cars having conventional car trucks which do not employ any type of frictional control for bolster movement do not properly protect against lading damage and themselves suffer undue depreciation due to the rough ride that is permitted by the undamped bolster. Most new trucks that are sold today incorporate some type of bolster damping mechanism, but there are still many thousands of freight cars in operation today which incorporate no type of bolster control, and there is a growing need for a simple yet effective way to convert these trucks into the equivalent of the new ride-stabilized trucks.

Patent No. 2,682,232 discloses a method for modifying existing railway car trucks of the type which employ a cast steel bolster or a bolster of equivalent construction, but the method therein disclosed is not applicable to fabricated bolsters of the pressed steel type. This is because holsters of this type have structural members and reinforcement ribs at the sides of the bolster and it is not feasible to cut a hole completely through the side of the bolster to mount the frictional devices for engagement with :the side-frame columns as disclosed in this patent.

Cost is an increasingly important factor with railroads today, and the principal object of this invention therefore is to provide a simple and inexpensive method for converting pressed steel bolster-s, or similarly fabricated types of bolsters, to bolsters which incorporate ride-stabilizing devices.

A further object of the invention is to provide a unitary casting that may readily be incorporated in existing fabricated bolsters of the type mentioned and which serve the dual purpose of housing the ride-stabilizing device and serving as a bolster guide.

Other objects of the invention include the following: To provide a method of converting such fabricated holsters of the undamped type to holsters incorporating ride stabilization .and to accomplish this objective with minimum cost of materials and labor in effecting the change; to provide means for accomplishing this objective which will not weaken the bolster end construction and may, in some instances, enhance it; and to provide a method and ride-stabilizing devices for use in the method which are applicable to various types of fabricated bolsters (again as distinguished from the unitary cast steel holsters).

Other objects and advantages will become apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same;

atent (Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic, "before and after perspective illustration of one end of a fabricated bolster illusvtrating the manner of incorporating a friction damping device in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, side-elevational view of a freight car truck equipped with the damping device of this invention, with parts broken away and sectioned to better disclose the structure and arrangement of the device;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary top view taken approximately on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to Figs. 2 and 3 thereof, the opposing fore and aft spaced side-frame columns 10 of a conventional type freight car truck define a bolster opening 11 within which a plurality of springs 12 resiliently support a truck bolster 13 for cushioned vertical movement.

The bolster 13 is shown, in accordance with this invention, provided with a pair of oppositely acting friction systems, generally designated as 14, which cooperate with the adjacent side-frame columns 1li that preferably are provided with suitable wear plates 10W welded or otherwise secured thereon to provide friction control of bolster movement, and this is the tirst time that such ride-stabilizing systems have been incorporated in the particular type 0f bolster that is illustrated herein.

The bolster 13 is of a fabricated type commonly referred to as a pressed steel bolster and in its original or unmodified form is shown in more complete detail in Fig. 1462 on page 643 of the 1922 edition of Car Builders Cyclopedia.

Reference is now made to Fig. l, the left portion of which illustrates the details of the original bolster construction and the right portion of which illustrates the manner of incorporating the friction systems 14.

The pressed steel bolster as originally constructed includes a main body member 16 of generally U-shaped configuration forming the bottom wall 17 and left and right vertical walls 18 and 19, respectively, of the bolster, with the vertical walls having oppositely, outwardly bentover upper edges forming integral securement flanges 18F and 19F. A top plate member 20 spans the bottom member and has fore and aft edge portions 29A and 20F, respectively, overlying and secured to the securement ilange. Finally, one-piece cast steel bolster guides 21 overlie and are secured to the vertical walls of the bolster and carry vertical guide 4ilanges 21F for cooperation with the side-frame columns 10 in guiding the vertical movement of the bolster, and a pan-shaped reinforcing member 22 is fixed within the bolster end in direct abutment between the vertical walls 18 and 19 to lend rigidity and strength to the bolster end construction.

While lading damage and freight car deterioration and maintenance are excessively high where undamped bolsters are employed, until now there has been no satisfactory arrangement for incorporating ride-stabilizing features in these fabricated holsters. The problems of cost, convenience and practicability4 of such changes and their effect on bolster end strength have apparently seemed insurmountable prior to this invention.

In accordance with the invention, the bolster is modified to incorporate friction devices that cooperate with the side frame and provide a three-way control of bolster movement, Le., vertical, lateral, and longitudinal. This is accomplished by removing the pan member 22 from within the bolster end and removing the cast steel bolster guides 21 to expose the vertical walls 18 and 19 of the bolster, and a generally oval-shaped hole 23 is then cut through each of these vertical walls to prepare the bolster end. for the incorporation of the friction systems 14.

Each friction system includes a unitary casting 24 comprising a rigid housing 25, preferably of oval crosssectional configuration for reception in hole 23 and having an open outer end and transverse wall 25W at its inner end, a generally rectangularly shaped, open-centered frame 26 integrally surrounding the open end'of the housing and projecting therebeyond to form a pocket 26P, spaced apart vertical guide llanges 27 integrally llanking the frame and projecting therebeyond to ernb'race the side-frame columns, and vertical and horizontal integral webs 28, 29 and 36 for securernent to adjacent portions of the bolster.

In the illustrated arrangement, the bolster is shown with a plurality of rivet holes 13H, and accordingly, the unitary casting is formed with registering holes 24H in its various webs to facilitate securement thereof to the bolster by riveting or similar means.

lt should be noted, however, that the rivets removed from the two holes i3d-I immediately overlying the cut-out hole 2S are not replaced, since this would cause conflict with the casting 2d. if desired, weld may be deposited in these vacant holes.

In the preferred form of friction system for use with this invention, the transverse wall 25W at the inner end of the housing has a central opening 31 and forms a spring seat surrounding the opening, with the bottom wall of the housing being provided with an upwardly and inwardly inclined ramp 32 (see Fig. 2) that facilitates the insertion and positioning of a coil spring 33 that is received within the housing for urging a friction block 34 that is received within the pocket 26P into engagement against the wear plate W on the adjacent column of the side frame. The block 34 is provided with a central projection G14-P that extends rearwardly therefrom and through the opening 3i in the transverse wall W, with the extremity of the projection being provided with a slot 35 that is adapted to receive a retention bar B (see Fig. 3) for retracting the block during mounting or removal of the bolster from the side frame. The rear face 341;' of the block serves as a spring seat for the outer end of the spring and ears 34E project from the block in surrounding relation to the spring seat surface thereof to aid in locating the coil spring and, more importantly, to maintain the positioning of the block within the housing.

In this preferred form, the position of the inner end of the coil spring is fixed by the ramp 32 and lsuilicient clearance is provided between the housing 25 and the coil spring 315` to accommodate such lateral flexing of the spring as develops. Similarly, the friction block is mounted in the pocket with peripheral clearance to permit of limited free-floating action thereof in following the surface of the side-frame column.

it will be recalled that in preparing the bolster end for receiving the friction systems 14, a reinforcing pan 22 was removed from its position within the bolster end. According to the invention, it is preferred to provide one or more reinforcement plates within the bolster end in direc-t abutment between the vertical walls of the bolster for restoring the strength and rigidity of the bolster end construction. In the illustrated arrangement, two such plates 3S and 39 are shown flanking the housings Z5, and they preferably are secured in place by Weld-ing, `as indicated at 401.

An additional advantage, according to this invention, resides in the fact that the bolster may be modified to incorporate friction systems in the manner explained without having to remove and subsequently replace the top or cover plate 20 of the bolster. It will be understood that where a pair of reinforcement plates are usedfor restoring the bolster end strength, the inner plate 38 is inserted immediately after cutting out the holes in the vertical walls of the bolster. At this time, access, either through the bolster end or through the cut-out holes 23, is available for welding the plate in place. The outer plate 39 may be secured in place either before or after the unitary castings are mounted in the bolster.

It should be understood that the bolster conversion, according to this invention, may be variouslymodied to accommodate other damping systems. For example, friction systems are available wherein the retention projection is at the top of the block or, alternatively, where a retention pin is passed laterally through the body of the block for retaining the same. lt will also be apparent that the friction damping system may be of a type having a movable spring seat at the inner end of the housing with appropriately shaped loading bars inserted between the transverse inner wall and the movable spring seat for loading the coil spring.

This invention is also applicable to pressed steel bolsters of the type having a cover plate the opposite ends of which slope downwardly and outwardly into the region between the vertical walls of the bolster body member. Such bolsters are shown at Fig. 1461 on page 643 and Fig. 1463 at page 644 of the 1922 edition of Car Builders Cyclopedia. With these bolsters, the sloping end portions of the cover plate are bent up to provide mounting clearance for the friction systems and after mounting of the friction systems are bent back to an approximately horizontal disposition Vand secured in place or, preferably, the end sections are removed and replaced with new end sections, as desired.

lt will be apparent that the objects of lthe invention have been accomplished in that an effective ride-stabilizing system is incorporated in pressed steel bolsters with a minimum of parts and labor and without necessitating disassembly of the bolster and without impairing bolster end strength.

It should be understood that the description of the preferred form of the invention is for the purpose of complying with Section 1l2, Title 35, of the U.S. Code and that the claims should be construed as broadly as prior art will permit.

We claim:

l. As an article of manufacture, a one-piece casting suitable for use in replacing the side-frame engaging bolster guide member of a fabricated bolster in railway car trucks, said one-piece casting comprising attachment webs for engagement with said bolster, spaced-apart vertical guide flanges disposed outwardly of said webs and having a pocket therebetween for the reception of a friction block, and a rigid housing integral with said vertical guide flanges and in open communication with said pocket and extending rearwardly from said flanges in a horizontal direction to receive a loading spring for the block.

2. As an article of manufacture, a one-piece casting suitable for use in replacing the side-frame engaging bolster guide member of a fabricated bolster in railway car trucks, said one-piece casting comprising a rigid housing having a transverse wall at one end and open at the other end to receive a loading spring, supporting frame structure integrally connected to said housing to surround said open end thereof and projecting beyond said open end to form a pocket for the reception of a friction block adapted for engagement by the spring, spaced apart vertical guide flanges integrally connected to and flanking said supporting structure and carrying attachment webs disposed inwardly of said guide ilanges for securement to said bolster.

3. A unitary casting suitable for use in replacing the side-frame engaging bolster guide member of a fabricated bolster, said unitary casting having a housing comprised of hollow rigid wall structure forming a hollow chamber open at its outer end, said wall structure including spaced apart, vertically extending guide flanges flanking and projecting outwardly beyond the open outer end of said chamber and said wall structure including attachment webs disposed inwardly of said guide flanges and llanking said housing exteriorly thereof for securement to said bolster.

4. In a railway car truck of the type having a side frame provided with a bolster opening dened in part by a side frame column: the combination with a bolster of undamped construction resiliently supported in said bolster opening for cushioned movement therein, said bolster being ofl a fabricated type comprising a plurality of structural members formed separately and secured together by riveting or equivalent means, said structural members including a lower body member of generally U-shaped conguration forming bottom and vertical walls and a one-piece cast steel bolster guide overlying and secured to one of said vertical walls for cooperation with said columns in limiting lateral movement of the bloster; of damping means mounted on said one vertical wall in place of said guide for frictionally engaging the column to dampen movement of the bolster, the vertical wall mounting said device having an opening therein at -a point adjacent and facing said column, said damping` means comprising a rigid housing open at its outer end and projecting inwardly into said bolster through said wall opening to terminate in a transverse wall, supporting frame structure integrally connected to said' housing to surround said open end thereof and projecting beyond said open end to form a friction block pocket, spaced apart vertical guide anges integrally connected to and flanking said supporting structure and carrying attachment Webs disposed inwardly of said guide ilanges for securement to said bolster, a friction block mounted in said friction block pocket, and spring means in said housing reacting between said transverse wall and said friction block to urge said friction block into engagement with said column.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,682,232 Wuli June 29, 1954 

